hello all. I have had a story of someone who always believed that there grandfather Sgt Frederick Boustead from 511 squadron died when there liberator flew into storm over the bay of Biscay on 23rd March 1943 and went missing while returning home home Gibraltar. I had a deeper look and i can see details on the net about flight AL587 Liberator: Liberator AL587 of 511 Sqn RAF took off from Gibraltar at 1036 hours on 23 march 1943 for Lyneham, UK. At 1349 hours an SOS was received from the aircraft from its then position of 43.40N, 10.40W. Subsequent searches were unsuccessful in finding the missing aircraft which did not reach its destination. German radio stated that two four-engined aircraft*, one with British markings, were shot down in the Bay of Biscay on 23 March 1943. reports of this kill are from Lt Ulrich Hanshen of 15,/KG40 does anyone have any more details on this flight as i cant find any in the books we have or the RAF losses by Chorley.! would love to know more as the relative always believed he was forced down in a storm. Could the news they were told be censored? please help as i would love to know for sure
A few more seconds googling "AL587 Liberator "would give this thread and post #29 from Jack Parker. Liberator Mk II AL series Ross
I thought better of you than lifting the posts from my forum and placing it on yours as if you had done the work with only a singe line afterthought. I will consider any more cut and paste from my web site breach of copyright. Ross Your cut and paste from my site placed under your name at WWW.Forces-War-Records.co.uk forum< well i have done a little more digging around the net for you and it does look like this liberator AL587 is the plane in question. I have found out more and even some details from a veteran who flew in this squadron, also F/O J G Green was lost on this flight too.!!! From Alan Storr’s Summary on the loss of AUS408535 F/O Frank STUART RAAF, and Liberator AL587: Liberator AL587 of 511 Sqn RAF took off from Gibraltar at 1036 hours on 23 march 1943 for Lyneham, UK. At 1349 hours an SOS was received from the aircraft from its then position of 43.40N, 10.40W. Subsequent searches were unsuccessful in finding the missing aircraft which did not reach its destination. German radio stated that two four-engined aircraft*, one with British markings, were shot down in the Bay of Biscay on 23 March 1943. * The other aircraft was a No.59 Sqn Fortress FK209, lost with all hands. F/L G T R Francis F/Sgt C E Ferro RCAF Sgt L G Burry Sgt R P Marvin F/O J S Renouf RCAF F/O R S Tedder AVM R P M Whitham CB OBE MC Sgt F Boustead F/O J G Green F/Sgt W J Hough RNZAF P/O A H Bowler [F/O - 511 Sqdn.] F/O F Stuart RAAF F/O O A Smith RCAF F/O T J Marriott RCAF Sgt W A Upston Sgt N R Knights Lt P S Skelton Col J E Merin Lt Col L W Armstrong-McDonnell Chris Goss in his book ’Bloody Biscay’ also records AL587 as shot down by Lt Ulrich Hanshen of 15/KG 40 while flying a Ju 88. Apparently another Ju 88 misjudged its attack on the Liberator and dived into the sea. then i found this post on a forum: I may be able to clarify some of the information regarding Liberator AL587 lost on 21/03/43 as two of my crew perished on the flight. I am Jack Parker now 90 years of age and the following information may be useful to you. At the time of the AL587 disaster, Blenheim Vs (or Bisleys) were coming off Ops in Tunisia, but aircraft were still coming off the production line at Filton Bristol. The British Government struck a deal with the Turkish Government and these aircraft were flown to Cairo by RAF crews, in my case 511 Squadron, for onward transfer by Turkish Crews. The planes were wanted but not the crews who were in the main flown back in Liberators to the UK as passengers via Gibraltar. In the lead up to the flight of AL587 my crew of three, pilot F/O J.G. Green, WOP/AG F.N. Boustead and myself as navigator flew Blenheim V EH336 as follows – Date Take Off Time Flight Plan Duration 01/03/43 14.30 Lyneham - Portreath 1h 20m 05/03/43 08.00 Portreath - Gibraltar 7h 50m 06/03/43 14.15 Gibraltar - Blida 3h 05m 08/03/43 09.50 Blida – Castil Benito 5h 35m 09/03/43 10.30 Castil Benito – Marble Arch 2h 45m 10/03/43 08.55 Marble Arch – El Adem 2h 15m 10/03/43 12.38 El Adem - Cairo 3h 05m Other Blenheim Vs and 511 crews were also involved in this transfer on these dates. As far as the passenger list on the ill fated flight, if we ignore the now confirmed members of 511 squadron (Boustead and Green), the two armyofficers and AVM Whitham it is my belief that other victims were 511 squadron Blenhiem crews. In my case I should have been on AL587 on it’s flight from Cairo to Lyneham via Gibraltar but my name was removed from the passenger list at the last moment to allow AVM Whitham to board as he was needed back in the UK urgently. Regulations at the time deemed that as a WOP/AG. Boustead’s name should have been removed from the list, so “but for he grace of God go I.” I followed soon afterwards as a passenger on Liberator AM 914 flown by F/L Walton and possibly W.O. Connelly as Navigator on the following Flight Plan – Date Take Off Time Flight Plan Duration Day Night 23/03/43* 00.25 Cairo - Gibraltar 11h 45m 4h 45m 7h 00m 27/03/43 00.15 Gibraltar – Weston Zoyland 8h 10m 1h 10m 7h 00m 27/03/43 14.05 Weston Zoyland - Lyneham 0h 25m 00.25m 0 * Delayed due to adverse weather conditions On arrival at Lyneham I was told my crew were missing and it was believed that AL587 had gone down due to adverse weather conditions which delayed my return flight at Gibraltar. Now after almost 67 years I know that it was shot down after my son in law found your website whilst writing my family history. As far as others who died on AL587 I also flew with both Sgt W.A. Upston and F/O R.S. Tedder. I have a photograph of the day my crew was formed at RAF Andover showing Sgt Freddie Boustead, F/O Johnnie Green and myself Sgt Jack Parker (Navigator)..!!!!!!! i hope this is of some help to you and maybe worth contacting this Jack Parker for more information and maybe even pictures.!!!! google search al587 and you should find a webpage on RAFcommands.com forum. here you will find the posts.>
Im very sorry that you feel that i have breached your copyrights by cutting and pasting information found on your forum and placing it on ours. There was no intention to miss lead you, steal information or upset you in anyway. Yes i copied and pasted, though i did say where the information was from and mentioned your webpage.!!! So be no means im i trying to take credit. Though its thanks to your forum that the family of a pilot who flew on this flight are able to hear the real history. They were told that the plane was forced down in bad weather. They also had a letter from another pilot who wrote to the family at the time of the crash. They are now in contact with this pilot as he is still alive and found him on RAFCommands forum, and it all has been an amazing story of discovery that i just decided to look into one lunch break.! Stunning what you can find.! here is the recent reply: “….Jack was speechless when I spoke to him last night and he was having difficulty taking it all in. On top of this he was also overcome when he heard of the letter you attached as it indeed came from him. He is at the moment going to put down on paper remembrances & details of what happened on the lead up to fateful flight AL587 on route home from Gibraltar. When he has done this I will be in touch and pass all information on. The emails of the last couple of days have made him recount numerous details he has not mentioned before…..” He goes on to say that like most members of the forces during the war who faced danger, (his father included), he would not talk in detail about what he encountered in those dreadful days. For my part this now confirms the letter was from Jack which means so much to me. And the fact that JP is still alive to-day to share such painful memories I so desperately wanted to know is beyond my wildest dreams after all these years. My thanks go to you for your part for without your help and others like you it would have been impossible to get this far..!!!! I hope you can accept my apologise and we can move forward.
Hello all. Interesting stuff. For interest for you, I am a Cathedral Guide at Lincoln Cathedral. In the Services Chapel - Seamans, is a small shelf on the wall to the left of the altar dedicated to Lt Paul Seymour Skelton who was a submarine commander in WW2 (SS Osiris). He too was on this flight, 23 Mar 1943. He was 28 years old. He was a passenger returning home. As I said, just out of interest.
